Cracking the Code: IT Hiring Trends & Talent Strategies for 2025

HOST: This is the 21st episode of Talking Talent. In this episode we will do something similar to the last one. The last episode featured two teammates from our accounting and finance search team; in this episode I will talk with Craig Savarick and Bryant Covelli, who lead our IT practice, about the salary guide that just came out and discuss trends in the IT world and what to look out for whether you are hiring talent or seeking a new role in the IT space.

HOST: This episode is about 40 minutes or so. If you enjoy it, please tell friends and coworkers who appreciate conversations about people, talent, and recruiting. You can get this on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get podcasts. You can also find it on the Cordia Resources website and the Cherry Bekaert website.

HOST: As I mentioned, the last episode covered 2025 trends in accounting and finance and our annual salary guide. This episode will be similar but with leaders in our IT practice, Craig Savarick and Bryant Covelli. Craig and Bryant, thank you for joining me today.

CRAIG SAVARICK: Thank you for having me.

BRYANT COVELLI: Thanks so much, Sam.

HOST: I will let Craig and Bryant talk about their backgrounds, but they are both veterans in recruiting and staffing, both at Cordia and in prior companies. You can check their profiles on our website and connect with them on LinkedIn. Craig, give us a 30-second elevator speech about yourself.

CRAIG SAVARICK: I am an IT executive search director at Cordia. I have been here a little over four years and manage the IT direct-hire practice and executive search side of IT placements. I have been in IT recruiting for more than 25 years. Before Cordia, I was managing director of the capital region for a large international staffing company, and before that I was director of talent and HR for a financial services consulting firm.

HOST: Bryant, how about you?

BRYANT COVELLI: My name is Bryant Covelli. I am a client relationship director at Cordia Resources by Cherry Bekaert. My main focus is on the contract and contract-to-hire side of our business. I specialize in a number of IT disciplines, with a big focus on data and ERP. I have about 17 years of recruiting experience—15 with a large national staffing firm and the last two-plus years at Cordia Resources.

HOST: I mentioned to both Craig and Bryant that much of what they will discuss is above my pay grade. They will drive the conversation and I will prompt them, but some of this stuff I have to read in detail to understand. These guys are experts in this space.

HOST: We are a few months into 2025. As most listeners in the Cordia world know, late last year we published an annual salary guide that covers many positions, trends, and takeaways for hiring this year from both a client and candidate perspective. In this edition we added content and trends in addition to salary ranges, and both Craig and Bryant contributed. If you want the salary guide, reach out to one of the three of us and we can get it to you. It is a great tool for companies hiring talent and candidates on the market.

HOST: Craig, from a macro level, how does 2025 compare to the past few years in IT and IT recruiting? What are some of the hot trends you are seeing?

CRAIG SAVARICK: Several key trends are shaping IT and IT recruiting this year. The biggest one is AI and automation. AI-powered tools and chatbots are becoming embedded in corporate environments and especially in IT, from screening resumes to identifying candidates based on skills. We are starting to use these tools daily.

CRAIG SAVARICK: Cybersecurity is another major area. Demand for candidates with strong cybersecurity skills remains high to address growing digital threats. Data science and analytics are also in increasing demand; the ability to analyze and leverage data for decision-making is crucial and we will likely see growth in those roles in 2025.

CRAIG SAVARICK: On the tech recruiting side, soft-skill assessment continues to be important. With many foreign nationals working in U.S. technology roles, employers emphasize communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptability alongside technical expertise. Upskilling and reskilling are also on the rise as companies invest in programs to develop skills in areas like cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data analytics.

CRAIG SAVARICK: Lastly, skill-based hiring is gaining traction, prioritizing relevant skills and capabilities over traditional degrees, which broadens the talent pool and supports continuous learning.

HOST: Bryant, anything that stood out to you? You focus more on contract work versus direct hire.

BRYANT COVELLI: Craig covered many strong points. From the contract and direct-hire sides, organizations are looking for people who can accomplish specific business goals efficiently and set them up for future technologies. Reporting is a key area: real-time reporting, KPI visibility, and accurate outputs for executives are front of mind.

BRYANT COVELLI: Much of this ties into data work—data science, data conversion, and structuring data for usable outputs. Many organizations have separate billing systems, CRM, and ERP systems and need those technologies to communicate so reporting is unified and accurate.

BRYANT COVELLI: Analytics and data visualization are extremely hot. Tools like Tableau and Power BI are in demand. Employers seek people who can build technical solutions and also communicate findings to nontechnical stakeholders. Those soft skills—being able to translate and influence across functions—are highly valuable and can significantly increase a candidate’s worth to an organization.

HOST: That makes sense. Moving from being technically skilled to influencing decisions and presenting to groups is a rare skill set. Some people prefer to stay in their technical lane while others thrive in front of people.

HOST: Bryant, in the world you operate—companies hiring W-2 employees versus engaging contractors—what factors determine whether a client hires direct or contract talent?

BRYANT COVELLI: It starts with project scope. If a company has specific, time-bound projects like implementations, rollouts, upgrades, or development, they may hire contractors for a fixed period rather than add permanent staff. Contractors can provide niche expertise for the duration of a project.

BRYANT COVELLI: Candidate preferences matter, too. Some professionals only want consulting work and are not interested in W-2 employment. Others prefer permanent roles. Many candidates are open to either scenario if the fit is right culturally, compensation matches expectations, and project scope aligns.

HOST: Craig, any additions from the client perspective?

CRAIG SAVARICK: From the client side, many companies plan technology projects at the start of the year and staff those projects with contractors for defined periods—six months, 12 months, or longer. Contractors allow clients to bring in specialized skills without adding permanent headcount.

CRAIG SAVARICK: Hiring a contractor lets you ""try before you buy."" You can evaluate how someone works with your team and their cultural fit during a consulting engagement and convert them to full-time if the match is right. Candidates also have varying needs: some want to work, save, and then take time off; others prefer steady W-2 roles. Flexibility benefits both sides.

HOST: Flexibility seems to be the name of the game. Craig, we discussed AI earlier. Tell me how you use AI in recruiting and how companies are viewing AI for their workforce.

CRAIG SAVARICK: In recruitment, AI is used to streamline initial candidate screening by analyzing resumes and identifying qualified applicants based on job requirements, which allows recruiters to focus on deeper interviews with a smaller pool of candidates. Some companies automate interview scheduling via chatbots.

CRAIG SAVARICK: I use AI daily for sourcing and recruiting: writing job descriptions, crafting outreach messages, generating interview questions, building Boolean search strings, and summarizing candidate profiles. Candidates also use AI for resume optimization and interview preparation.

BRYANT COVELLI: I would add that AI enhances and automates certain activities for recruiters, freeing up time to focus on areas important to clients. It enables us to engage more potential consultants and better serve roles we are filling.

HOST: AI is here to stay and growing quickly. I need to learn to use it to my advantage.

HOST: Shifting to work models—on-site, hybrid, or remote—what is the landscape now, about five years after COVID? Bryant, what are you seeing?

BRYANT COVELLI: Much IT work—software engineering and data work—can be done remotely. Over the last year, some organizations have moved from fully remote to hybrid or back to in-office. Many companies require five days a week in the office, but the majority still use a hybrid schedule, typically three days in and two remote.

BRYANT COVELLI: Hybrid and remote policies affect the candidate pool. If a role requires in-person presence, you may limit candidates to your local market. Remote openness expands the pool nationally. Employers should weigh how strict their in-office requirements are and whether flexibility would open up more options and potentially different salary expectations.

HOST: There are internal equity concerns when some employees are local and in the office while others are remote. Flexibility matters for many people due to family responsibilities and life outside work.

HOST: Are there industries trending more toward in-office versus remote?

CRAIG SAVARICK: Federal clients in the D.C. area often require in-office presence due to the nature of their work and security clearances. Associations and financial services firms have become more flexible, typically favoring hybrid schedules.

BRYANT COVELLI: In the Midwest, logistics and manufacturing leaders returned employees to the workplace first because their operations require on-site presence. Technology, SaaS, and multi-location services companies tend to be more flexible. Remote policies in IT often prompt other departments to ask for similar flexibility.

HOST: That brings up candidate leverage. For IT roles with specific skills, there's often a disconnect between what companies are willing to pay and what candidates expect. Craig, is that still a challenge?

CRAIG SAVARICK: Yes, there is a significant disconnect between company compensation ranges and candidate expectations. Factors include inflation, the Great Resignation and its aftermath, and high demand for skilled workers. Candidates have access to salary data online and often negotiate based on perceived market value.

CRAIG SAVARICK: In development roles especially, candidates will switch jobs for 20–25% higher salaries. This dynamic creates price pressure and candidate leverage. Employers must be realistic about market rates and competitive offers.

HOST: After hiring, retention matters. Salary alone is not the only factor—engagement and development matter too. For candidates, should they be open-minded about work model expectations during interviews?

CRAIG SAVARICK: Candidates are often blunt during initial outreach about whether they want in-office, hybrid, or remote work. Many state their preference upfront. Some roles are flexible for the right candidate. Companies are experimenting with compensation strategies tied to in-office presence—one example offered a $10,000 increase for employees who returned to the office five days a week—but it remains to be seen if such strategies are sustainable.

BRYANT COVELLI: Employers with multiple U.S. locations may adjust compensation by geography. Companies with operations in only one region are less likely to change pay across geographies. Geographic salary strategies can be another lever for sourcing talent across markets.

CRAIG SAVARICK: Smaller and midsize companies, including startups, are often more flexible and willing to hire fully remote employees to access higher-tier talent at more modest costs.

HOST: Thank you both. This was helpful. For listeners who want to connect with Craig or Bryant—whether candidates or clients hiring direct, contract, or project roles—please reach out.

CRAIG SAVARICK: Thanks very much, Sam. We'll have to do this next year and see what has changed.

BRYANT COVELLI: Thank you. It was a pleasure.

HOST: Thanks again.